Technical Field
Aspects of the present invention relate to an image forming apparatus employing an electrophotographic image forming method.
Conventional Art
Conventionally, as an example of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus, there has been known a so-called tandem type color printer which has a plurality of photoconductive drums corresponding to a plurality of colors (e.g., yellow, magenta, cyan and black).
It is generally known that, in such a tandem type color printer, waste toner adhered on the photoconductive drums is removed by toner collecting units, and the removed toner is conveyed to a container which is typically arranged at a lower section of the printer.
Specifically, the waste toner on each of the photoconductive drums is scraped and removed with a cleaning blade of the toner collecting unit. Then, the waste toner is conveyed toward one axial end portions of the photoconductive drums with use of auger screws, respectively. The toner collected at one side end portions of the photoconductive drums falls down, with its own weight, from the tonner collecting unit to a toner conveying unit, and is further conveyed to the collection container and accumulated therein.
As above, the waste toner adhered on the plurality of photoconductive drums is conveyed downward by its own weight, without being caused to proceed against a direction of gravitation force.